The Arkansaw traveler., 1887-10-22
AT THE JUNCTION.
BY NJ. QUAD.

wait for the train on the Flint & Pere Marquette road-two women and two men. None of us were acquainted, and we had an hour and half to wait at a railroad crossing. There was dreary- looking waiting room, 12x12, and there was platform sixty feet long by eight broad. The scenery consisted of
 One water tank.
 Ten freight cars.
 Two fields.
 Five telegraph poles.
 One pile of lumber.
 AS the train left us saw the two women closely surveying each other from hat to shoes. Each seemed to regard the other with suspicion and distrust. They entered the waiting room and sat down, getting as far from each other as possible. The one dressed in brown seemed to be saying to herself:
 "Good lands but what taste that woman has! Who ever saw any one mix such colors together before? If she is going to the lunatic asylum she should have an attendant along. Such persons are dangerous"
 And the one dressed in blue seemed to be saying to herself:
 "Have 1 got to wait here an hour and half in the company of that thing! Such a hat! Such a cloak l! What big feet! She must be some one going out to work in creamery, and doubt if she knows what county she is in"
 My friend, the man, was fat, mild eyed specimen of the human race. We stood for moment and looked at each other. might have said to myself:
 "Well, if haven't just run across bank sneak and highway robber then l don't know grindstone when 1 see it! Wonder when he got out of prison? Seems to have an innocent look, but that is all put on. No doubt he got off the train thinking to rob me of my four dollars and return ticket to Detroit, but Pve spotted his little game and will be prepared for any move."
 And he might have unused:
 "Oh-ho! So here is Billy the Kid the chap who is supposed to have had hand in abducting Charlie Ross {! Probably out o,l another child steal ing expedition, but Pm on to his game and will spoil it. My but hasn't he got hardened look! That fellow would tear an innocent babe from dying mothers arms and dash it's brains out against the family churn without one ray of pity!"
 But neither of us thought any such thing. Even before the women got seated we threw our grips down to- gether, and he said
 "Old boy, do you smoke?"
 "Yes, thanks"
 "Well, here's something I can rec ommend. Which way are you going?"
 "To Toledo"
 "Good Pm going there myself. Live in Detroit?"
 "Yes, do you?"
 "Yes; your phiz looks familiar to me-"
 "And I know have often seen you. Let's walk up and down."
 And while those women sat twelve feet apart, each one with her veil down and her body huddled up in an exclusive sort of way, we walked arm in arm up and down and joked and told stories and said we were glad we met each other. Forty minutes had passed away when one of the women became restive. It struck her that the train had come and departed while she was in reverie. It was an awful thing to do. She might be address ing murderess for all she knew, and she was quite certain that the other woman had at least run away from two husbands, but she finally got up courage enough to ask:
 "Have you the time?"
 The other gave start of surprise Did she hear aright? It might be that she was addressed by the cook Of the scow "Mary Ann," but after talk ing five minutes to think it all over she replied
 "No. Have you?"
 And then both shrank away from each other again, and turned up their noses under their veils, and were sorry that they let down on their dignity. Meanwhile the stranger called me ''old boy" and borrowed some fine- cut, and poked me in the ribs; and I called him "old fellow" and slapped him on the back, and borrowed every match he had. When the train came along we got into the same car and the same seat. The women came out to give each other look of disdain and enter separate coaches, and as each one found seat she no doubt said to herself:
 "Well, just catch me in such scrape again if you can! I never passed such an hour and half in my whole life | The railroad cOmuAny OuUht fo he